(courtesy of Buffs Energy Drink)
The Buffs Energy Drink is the new official energy drink of CU Athletics served at sporting events, the sales of which benefit the university. To market new products like this, the help of a marketing agency, such as the one based in Toronto, may be needed.
The drink may sport the Buffaloes’ logo, but the product is just one of many to come from Global Business Marketing.
Global Business Marketing is a national company who purchased the licensing rights from the university to use their brand, according to a Global Business Marketing news release.
Betsy Martin, principal of public relations for Global Business Marketing, said that CU was one of the first three colleges launched.
“The mission is to create win-win partnerships by creating a new source of funding for universities,” Martin said.
The first two flavors of the new Buffs Energy Drink were unveiled at the Colorado-Hawaii football game at Folsom Field. The drink revealed the “Pom Mango” and “Cherry Lime” flavors to football fans.
Hope Nelson, an 18-year-old freshman open-option major, said she was one of the first to try the energy drink at the Colorado-Hawaii football game.
“I had to chug it before the game because they wouldn’t let us bring it into the stadium,” Nelson said. “But I liked it.”
Anna McNeil, an 18-year-old freshman studio art major, said she had never heard of the new drink but would still be willing to try it.
“If someone offered it to me, I would try it,” McNeil said.
Other students, like 18-year-old freshman psychology major Billy Dickstein, said while they too had not heard of the new drink, they wouldn’t be interested in trying it.
“I haven’t heard of [the Buffs Energy Drink],” Dickstein said. “But I’ve never had an energy drink before so I don’t think I would try it.”
Kevin Marr, the regional manager for the Buffs Energy Drink, said he believes the product supports the university from both business and philanthropic perspectives.
“Between 2007 and 2010, the energy drink industry has shown a 67 percent increase in sales,” Marr said in the news release. “Buffs Energy Drink brilliantly leverages a growing industry to help support university programs in a challenging economy.”
According to the release, the Buffs Energy Drink can be purchased at Folsom Field and Coors Events Center as well as select 7-11 locations in the Boulder and Denver areas.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Ashley Ward at Ashley.ward@colorado.edu.
